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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22724053">three rings and an answering machine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/janfives90/pseuds/Fives'>Fives (janfives90)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Oneshot, Songfic, for the song 'austin', sort of a</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:14:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,083</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22724053</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/janfives90/pseuds/Fives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I just need some time to think things through.”</p>
<p>“Wait a minute. Lys, hold on, we can-”</p>
<p>“I really don’t think we can, Emma. I’m sorry.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>three rings and an answering machine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I just need some time to think things through.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait a minute. Lys, hold on, we can-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really don’t think we can, Emma. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alyssa drums her fingers on the counter of her apartment, staring at the phone, trying to talk herself out of what she’s about to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A year is too long to wait to apologize for leaving and not truly explaining why.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She lets out a thin breath and picks up the phone, hesitating only a moment longer before dialing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It rings three times, and she almost thinks that maybe she has the wrong number until the line clicks to an answering machine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knows Emma Nolan’s voice better than she knows her own heartbeat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, if you’re calling about that puppy, sorry, I’m a sucker and fell for her and she’s mine now.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alyssa can’t help the smile that spreads across her face as she listens.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“If it’s Wednesday, I’m doing guitar lessons. If you’re a telemarketer, just hang up. Anybody else, you know the drill, just listen for the tone.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She starts to prepare herself for whatever message she’s going to leave, when Emma’s message adds one more line.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“And, uh… if this is Sacramento? I still love you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alyssa drops the phone and hangs up without leaving a message.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Did she know you were moving to Sacramento after you left?” Shelby asks, watching Alyssa pace back and forth in Shelby’s apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I mean, I didn’t say so specifically, but I always talked about wanting to come out here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shelby frowns into her coffee mug. “So… she remembered that and still loves you a </span>
  <em>
    <span>year</span>
  </em>
  <span> after you walked out on her. Why did you dump her again?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not helping me, Shelby,” Alyssa groans.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just saying. Why did you even call her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, I just…” Alyssa runs her hand over her face and shrugs. “I-I miss her. And I have a lot of regrets that I think she deserves to know about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you still love her?” Shelby asks softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t ask me that, Shelby. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle the answer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lys,” Shelby murmurs. “I think that </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> an answer.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She waits three days, then calls again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gets another three rings, then the answering machine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, if it’s Wednesday I’m at guitar lessons. If it’s not, honestly I’m probably playing with the dog. Leave a message at the tone as long as you aren’t trying to sell me something.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alyssa braces herself for it, but it still hits her square in her heart when Emma keeps talking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“P.S. If this is Sacramento… I still love you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She swallows as she waits for the tone, her throat dry. Once she hears the beep, all she manages to get out is a ‘hi’ and her phone number, and she hangs up again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Emma walks into her apartment, her German Shepherd puppy bouncing around at her feet, almost making her trip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, alright, calm down, bud.” She looks up and frowns when she sees the message light blinking on her machine. “I swear, if this is your Uncle Barry interrogating me about the safety of your dog park for the thousandth time, I’m going to kill him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hits the button and waits, and she pales when she hears Alyssa Greene’s voice give a greeting and her number, then vanish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh God.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emma scrambles for a pen and plays the message again, writing the number down on whatever paper she can find, just to be safe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t know who this is,” Emma says quietly as her puppy looks up at her, ears flopping as she tilts her head from side to side. “But if you ever meet her, you’ll love her. I promise you that much, kiddo.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It takes her a full day to work up the nerve to dial the number.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The phone rings three times, and when the line picks up, Emma hears Alyssa’s voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her heart skips when her brain registers the words that voice is saying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey. If you’re calling from New York? My heart’s still yours. I’m sorry for everything I said, and for everything I didn’t say. I’m sorry for that walk by the lake, where I told you I was leaving but didn’t tell you why. I’m sorry for taking you to the swing where you first told me you loved me and breaking your heart.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emma rubs at her mouth and swallows, and in that moment her brain registers that something’s up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s too long to be an answering machine message.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry that it took me a whole damn year to tell you that everything that happened was my fault. That you didn’t do anything wrong, and I just needed time to remind myself of what I really wanted out of my life. For some reason, I just didn’t believe that I could have a life with you. I didn’t believe I could let myself have that and also have what I wanted. And I was wrong.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alyssa,” Emma whispers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s a pause. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, New York. This isn’t a machine. This is Sacramento. And I still love you, too.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emma starts to respond, but an incessant barking interrupts her as her puppy notices a pigeon out her apartment window. She sighs and rubs at her eyes. “Sorry. That’s Toast. She says hi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She can hear the smile in Alyssa’s voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Tell Toast I say hi, too.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I really do still love you, Sacramento.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alyssa lets out a shaky breath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I, uh… I don’t know what made me call in the first place. I’ve been thinking of moving back east, and I… I missed you, and I…”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Back east… like New York?” Emma asks, trying not to sound hopeful as she goes to close the curtains and deny Toast the opportunity to continue annoying the birds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alyssa pauses. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s an option. If there’s anything there for me.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There would be, Alyssa. If you’re willing, there would be. We need to talk, fully, in person, but no matter what, there would be something here for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“New York is waiting for me, huh?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emma hesitates before throwing her cards on the table. “I’m waiting for you, too. Always have been.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I know. I think my heart’s been waiting for you this whole time, too.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what do you say, Alyssa Greene?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I say…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Alyssa gives a soft laugh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Get a new message for your machine, New York. I’m leaving Sacramento.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
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